"He's a great guy, unbelievable player, I really love to watch him" - Dominic Thiem on his US Open 2R clash with Ben Shelton

Dominic Thiem has spoken rather highly of Ben Shelton, describing him as a fantastic individual and an incredible player. Thiem expressed his genuine enjoyment in watching Shelton play, as the duo prepare to face each other in the second round at the 2023 US Open.

In a match lasting one hour and 44 minutes on Monday, Dominic Thiem secured his first victory at a Major tournament since 2021. The Austrian delivered a precise and powerful performance, triumphing over 25th seed Alexander Bublik with a scoreline of 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in New York.

Following his win against Bublik, Dominic Thiem addressed the media during his post-match press conference, where he was questioned about his upcoming clash against Shelton at the US Open.

The former World No. 3 pointed out that their previous encounter (at the 2023 Estoril Open, where Thiem won in straight sets) was on clay, which also happened to be Shelton's inaugural clay court tournament.

Thiem noted that the dynamics change significantly when playing on hard courts, where Shelton has shown considerable prowess by reaching the quarterfinals at the 2023 Australian Open.

"I played him on clay, but this was just, I guess, his first clay court tournament ever or something. On hard, I guess it's a completely different game. He played quarters in the Australian Open. He had some great results on hard court," Thiem said.

The former US Open champion also expressed his anticipation for their impending encounter, saying:

"In general, I'm looking forward a lot to that match. He's a great guy. He's unbelievable athlete. I really love to watch him."

Dominic Thiem looking for second win over Ben Shelton at US Open 2023

2020 US Open - Day 14 Dominic Thiem

Following his triumph over Bublik on Monday, Thiem put an end to a six-match losing streak in Grand Slam events. He had experienced a first-round defeat in New York last year.

Conversely, following his premature exit in the first round of the tournament last year, Ben Shelton is now participating in the US Open for the second time in his career. With his four-sets victory over Pedro Cachin in his opener, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, Shelton scored his first ever win at Flushing Meadows.

Ranked 47th in the world, Ben Shelton stands among the American male players aiming to secure the title in New York this fortnight, two decades since Andy Roddick claimed victory in the men's singles event at this esteemed tournament.

The Estoril meeting earlier this year is the only previous meeting to have taken place between Thiem and Shelton, and the former will head into their US Open clash brimming with confidence on the back of his 1-0 head-to-head lead.